Besides all the new summer products that Ikea has come out with, they also have introduced some other great new stuff. While the products run the gamut from baking goods to sandbox toys I was most impressed by all the new textiles like the CECILIA fabric shown above. Other textile favorites include the MYSKMALVA twin duvet cover set that sells for an amazing $7.99. The KAJSA TRAD cushion cover is also pretty sweet with it's bold black and white scandinavian abstract patterns.

Check out the rest of the highlights after the jump. What's your favorite?

More CECILIA designs $2.99/yd

SARALISA fabric $8.99/yd

BESTA in white and walnut, is that new?

LUSY BLOM rug for $39. Not quite doing it for me.

LUSY duvet cover, really not doing it for me.

Loving the new melamine and silicon kitchen goods!

I ran across the work of Swedish photographer Åke E:son Lindman the other day and was blown away. Åke has been photographing architecture since 1986 and has the portfolio to prove it. Take a whirl around his site and get inspired by the depth and breadth of his work.

More about Åke:
Åke E:son Lindman was born in Stockholm in 1953. He attended the School of Fine Arts (Konstfack) in Stockholm 1975 and has concentrated on photographing architecture since 1986. He continues to be featured in architectural publications worldwide, such as Wallpaper, AD German, AD France, Interior Design, Residence, Arkitektur etc.

Top: Red Apple Le baiser mouillé Mazette ! Ma baguette

Bottom: Anonymous call Cerf The Puti Tree N0.3 La gourmandise des oiseaux

My wife and I were discussing the other day how we have a serious lack of good art on our walls. We are currently in the middle of remodeling a room for our son Arrington (more on that later) and I would love to get some nice prints for his room. I came across this great french site L' Affiche Moderne (Modern Displays) that sells children's art with amazing artists like Limoon, Young Nod and Marion Billet as well as some nice photography prints. Each poster is a numbered limited edition of 300. They ship worldwide and have pretty reasonable prices for a good sized poster.

Available from L' Affiche Moderne from $35 - $75.

I love tile backsplashes and one day, when I get around to even thinking about starting a kitchen remodel, I would love to do a backsplash with tile from Modwalls. They have so many options when it comes to color and material - cork, ceramic, stainless steel, glass, you name it. Has anyone ordered from Modwalls in the past? I'd love to see any projects you've done with this tile!

Modern tile from Modwalls - pricing varies widely by material and shape.

Stainless steel and concrete are usually reserved for more utilitarian uses, but KONZUK changes that notion with their clean, minimalist jewelry line. I'm especially fond of their powder-coated pieces, which come in 9 bold colors. Check out their great line of cufflinks and rings for men as well as their pendants and earrings for the ladies.

More about KONZUK:
Combining materials like stainless steel, concrete and powder-coated enamel with processes like laser cutting, CNC machining and photo engraving, the KONZUK collection embraces materials and methods that reflect the design-centric philosophy of its wearers. KONZUK crafts each piece as an expression of individual style--a modern design object of strength, durability, color and beauty.

Modern jewelry by KONZUK available from 2modern from $90 - $325

The April 09 issue of Dwell arrived in my mailbox this week and I've been poring over all the great before and after photos. It never ceases to amaze me how a building can be so completely transformed. Take this home in Toronto, for instance. Homeowners and architects Christine Ho Ping Kong and Peter Tan took this back alley warehouse and turned it into a warm, livable modern space.

When Ho Ping Kong and Tan found their site 
back in 2001, it held a building you could literally back a truck into: a contractor’s warehouse with 
a storage yard. Yet the two-story concrete-block structure seemed like the perfect place to begin. “Here, you don’t have to conform with the facades of the street,” Ho Ping Kong says. And the building itself “was so elemental—a block and an empty space,” Tan says. “It was perfect. We weren’t paying for things we didn’t want to use and we could experiment with all our crazy ideas.”

Today, it seems that their idea isn’t so crazy after all. They’ve rebuilt the warehouse as a two-story home for themselves, their children, and their growing business. From the outside, there’s not much to see: Most of the warehouse’s walls remain, the front door is notched into a blank facade, and the yard is hidden behind a rampart of concrete block. “When we first moved in, a lot of neighbors didn’t even believe this was a house,” Tan recalls.

There's nothing I like more than a good sale, and this one could prove to be the most epic of the year. Due to some unexpected rezoning Modern Materials Design has to move out of their warehouse. While they look for a new location they need to clear out all of their inventory, which means everything is 50% - 80% off. If their last sale was any indication the best deals will go quickly. The sale starts this Friday.

Hours: 10-6 Tues-Friday and 10-4 Saturday (Saturdays starting March 7th)

Location: 800 North 350 West (North side of building)
              Downtown SLC
              Slightly hidden, but worth the search!

If you're not local, don't feel bad. You can still pick up some good deals online at their website.

Make sure you tell them Grassrootsmodern sent you, and post over at Utahmodern.org if you got a amazing deal!

Typically I find the wares offered by Chiasso to be a little overpriced (you can usually find the same item elsewhere for a lot less). That's not to say the whole store is overpriced or even expensive in the grand scheme of modern home furnishings. In fact, there are a few nicely priced, "exclusive" items that I can't help but covet. I think my favorite item out of everything they have is the Tripod Planter - it's just plain cool! If you spot anything you've just gotta have, act now! They're currently offering free shipping on orders over $100.

All items available from Chiasso.com

Top: Spirale Pillow - $58, Blox Bench - $498, Lulu Rug - $348-$698
Bottom: Geo Doormat - $38, Milo Planters - $48-$78, Tangle Rug - $198-$598

Top: Cube Planter - $55-$75, Mod Pillow - $38, Convex Blox - $168
Bottom: Mingle Rug - $198-$598, Tripod Planter - $148, Riviera Doormat - $38

While it may not feel like it in some parts of the country, summer really is just around the corner. That mean's that Ikea has a whole bunch of new items coming out that will be for summertime only. Summer items should start hitting your local Ikea in about two weeks. Most of the time summer items are available through June or July, but when they are gone, they are gone. Here is a look at what you can expect this year.

I'm not usually a fan of rattan, but these plastic rattan ARHOLMA lounge chairs look pretty sweet. Priced $60 - 140.

Continue reading for LOTS more.

The ROXO seating ads some color for $139. The ROXO tray table is $40.

I'm not as big a fan of these VANO chairs but the color fans can pick them up for $50.

The NORDANO line of outdoor furniture are made of acacia and look beautiful, especially for the price. $69 -$179.

APPLARO series is also made of acacia. $29 - $129.

Not your usual paper lamps, these SOLIG lamps are rain proof and solar powered. Very cool. $10 ea

Lots of other new outdoor lighting.

New cushions and blankets.

I'm loving these SOLIG cushions for $12

More SOLIG goodies.

Maybe some of that goodness will get you inspired for warmer days. Anyone have a favorite must have item?

Normally I try to keep my entries pretty positive. There is so much negativity around these days, we don't really need it in our design blogs. BUT, I can't ignore my true feelings about this one.  

I keep seeing this bastardizationironic re-imagining of the classic Fiberglass Shell Chairs and I am just not quite able to embrace the idea. I'm all for collaborations and interpretations but this one I can't be friendly to. I think it's ugly.

What do you think? Have you seen these? Do you like them? Or does it feel like someone just stabbed the Shell chair in the back and ran off with the money?

Discuss!

Modernica's design studio has collaborated with artist Peter Shire to design the Prince Charles Chair based on the company's Case Study Fiberglass shell chair and playfully named after the originator of the design, Charles Eames...The Prince Charles chair is an elegant and ironic juxtaposition - past and present. It is an innovative combination of two recognizable styles artfully embracing 300 years of furniture design into a single chair. This, along with the chair's Queen Anne-like legs, which look like broken violin cut outs, prove opposites attract.

Prince Charles Shell Chair from Modernica - $359 to $469

I've written about a couple products from Pkolino in the past like their bed and table and chair set. The manage to pull off great style at a great cost. Last night I was at Babies R Us doing some shopping and I noticed they had the table and chair set. I was super impressed with the quality of the construction. It was way above anything else that they had there. That got me wondering what other great stuff Pkolino had that I didn't know about. A quick look over at Design Public turned up a bunch of great products. One of my favorites is this children's desk. it comes in orange or white and sized just right for you little one.

Available from Design Public for $66.

I just got word from Byrd and Belle (whose modern ornaments I wrote about in December), sharing a new line of framed, hand-stitched art inspired by everyone's favorite modern furniture! I love the color combos and think a grouping of these would look pretty spectacular over a console table or in a (very hip) kid's room.  

What do you think? Yay or nay? Modern Furniture Framed Stitchery by Byrd and Belle: $19 – $39.

It's been a while since I have posted about anything from CB2. I was glancing through their website the other day, and found myself quite smitten with the Draper sofa. It has all the ingredients to be an epic sofa, removable cover for cleaning, certified sustainable kiln dried hardwood frame, soy based polyfoam seat, simple lines and it's made in the USA. My only complaint about it is the lack of color choices.

There is the cotton "flame" cover shown above, or a poly blend "pearl". I'm not sure I could pull of the flame, and the latter is a little boring. Either way it looks like a great value for only $799.

Draper Sofa available at CB2 for $799.

Has anyone ever sat on it?

Great little video about preserving the iconic "Doo Wop" styled architecture in Wildwood.

Does anyone know any good websites for Mid-Century architecture preservation?

I only recently discovered Josh Cochran and his awesome illustration style via The Criterion Collection. He has designed one of my favorite Criterion covers ever for the movie Wise Blood, which will be released this May. While designing for The Criterion Collection is probably the pinnacle of some illustrator's dreams, Josh's client list is vast and impressive.

With such a great style, it's no wonder the likes of Fantagraphics, Wired, GQ, and Target are commissioning his skills. Lucky for us, Josh has an online shop where you can purchase prints of his illustrations. To see more, check out his website www.joshcochran.net.

Prints available from Josh Cochran for $45.

proof technology is something that you just can't get enough of when you have a little toddler. The fine folks over at Loopa have taken the challenge of making a bowl that is resistant to spills, even in the hands of your little guy. By using a weighted center bowl and a set of gyro's, the Loopa bowl stays upright no matter how you hold it. That helps keep the cheerios in the bowl, and not on the floor. The bright colors and easy grip surface is kid friendly while the $10 price is parent friendly.

Available from Loopa for $10

Action pics after the jump.

Some more inspirational architecture and interior photography for your viewing pleasure! Today's photographer is Richard Powers, who currently lives and works in France (by way of Australia, originally from the UK). This self-taught photographer has an incredible eye for composition and an equally substantial client list: Vogue Living, Wallpaper*, Design Within Reach, and Urbis, to name a few.

More:
Richard was commissioned by Thames & Hudson to photograph houses in Brazil, Florida, New Zealand and Singapore, which resulted in the book Tropical Minimal, released in 2006. In 2007, Thames & Hudson also published his study on the work of architect Geoffrey Bawa called Beyond Bawa: Modern Masterworks of Monsoon Asia. They went on to published his third book in 2008, called Dubai: Growing Through Architecture, which is the only book, so far, to record the historical development of architecture in this city.

See Richard's A M A Z I N G portfolio here, you won't be disappointed!

  

According to inmod, this table is styled after the "legendary designers Charles and Ray Eames". I guess they are referring to the wire base? In any case the Anson table does have a classic look to the design, one that would make it look good in just about any home. The melamine top comes in either black or white with an exposed plywood core. The pictures are a little misleading because this little guy only measures in at 10" high and 15" wide. At that small size I've got my eye on it for a bedside table.

Available at inmod for $74.

Times may be tough, but that doesn't mean you can't afford to laugh! Right?? Hopefully we've all still got our humor intact, anyway. If not, these "Retro Recession Cards" from Rock Scissor Paper are a sure fire way to bail someone out of the blues!

Recession Humor Cards from Rock Scissor Paper - $2.75

via

While this news is apparently almost a year old, I guess it was still news to me. Design demi-god Karim Rashid is up to his old tricks again and has designed a new line of affordable modern and functional kitchen gadgets for Slice. Taking the companies product line from 2 to 6, the four new kitchen accessories share two things in common. First is their ridiculously good looks (although I could do with out the apple green color) the other is the ultra sharp ceramic blades for grating, peeling and any other misc cutting you need. The products are widely available at all the normal suspects (Bed Bath Beyond, Container Store, Sur La Table, Linens N' Things) and are amazingly affordable.

Slice by Karim Rashid priced from $7 - $15